Hello Community Navigators!

I have drafted a detailed timetable to help articulate expectations and resources for remaining work to be done. I recognize that each Navigator is at different stages of your work, and working at your own pace. Please do not hesitate to reach out for clarification and request adjustments.

It is important to distinguish Navigator-hosted events from those hosted by the City. Residents may have very different expectations if they believe City staff to be in attendance. There are several strategies to make this clear:

1. Posters and other promotional materials (including surveys and emails) should make it clear that the Neighbourhood House is hosting the conversation/engagement, not the City of Vancouver. You may place the NH logo prominently at the top. You may also phrase the invitation appropriately, like: “The Neighbourhood House is hosting a conversation with members of the ___ community to help inform the Vancouver Plan.”
2. The City may be listed as a partner, with text such as: “In partnership with the City of Vancouver” and include the logo at the footer (very bottom) of the poster. Try to limit the use of graphics from the City website – we want to avoid any confusion that this is a City event. Please contact me if you would like to use the City logo and I can share it with you.

If you are creating posters, surveys, and online materials to build awareness about upcoming engagement, you can provide additional guidance here.

Navigators must be careful with handling personal information provided by community, especially if you are collecting this information electronically through online surveys and questionnaires. 

Contact information (eg. telephone numbers, e-mail addresses) that are collected alongside personal (eg. name) and demographic information can compromise a person's identity if there is a data breach. 

It is recommended:

1. Wherever possible, use a survey platform which has servers in Canada for Canadian customers. Avoid Google Forms in favour of platforms such as Alchemer/SurveyGizmo. 
2. If Google is your only viable option, do not collect personal data together with demographic data. Conduct two separate questionnaires with personal info (name, email) on one, and demographic information on the other, so the information is disassociated.
3. When providing the City with information collected from your surveys, please remove any personally-identifiable information (including names, e-mails, etc.) beforehand. All information must be anonymous unless otherwise requested.
4. Clearly articulate to participants who is collecting the information (eg. the Navigator and Neighbourhood House) and how it will be used (eg. contact information to keep participants informed on progress; anonymous demographic information to be shared with the City).

The Province requires the City to comply with "Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" (FIPPA). While Neighbourhood Houses are not required to do so, we are working in partnership and must do our best to follow this guidance.

As you engage community members on the Vancouver Plan, you're likely to encounter several common questions. Here are some responses I have drafted for you.

• What happens with the information we've provided?  
  • Navigators will be producing a report summarizing discussion from sessions they organize, which will be provided to City staff.
  • Information will help staff identify priorities of the communities engaged, especially those who have not provided input to the City in the past.
  • While they won't be able to act on all ideas, City staff will do their best to respond to the ideas and feedback provided.
  • Staff and Navigators will then work together to explore how input provided might inform policy development (eg. what can be done), including further engagement with community on the topic. 
• My community group is interested in the Vancouver Plan. Is the Navigator Program the right way for us to participate?
  • The Community Navigator Program is intended to initiate conversations and generate interest with people from communities that have not historically participated in civic issues or planning initiatives. 
  • If your community group is well aware of planning issues in the City and has provided input to the City in the past, the Community Navigators program may not be the right avenue for your involvement.   
  • There are a number of ways that your community group can take part. 
    • Checking out the Vancouver Plan website https://vancouverplan.ca/
    • Registering for updates https://shapeyourcity.ca/vancouver-plan 
    • Emailing City staff at planningtogether@vancouver.ca. 

Navigators will be reporting back on what they've heard from communities they're engaging. To ensure that the Report Back form will work for you, please review this draft and provide feedback.

Engagement Details

Who did you engage?

Please describe the communities you engaged. If participants provided demographic information through the survey (to be provided), please attach.

How were your engagements structured?

Please describe the activities, format, and length of time

How were participants supported to participate?

Please describe what languages were spoken or translation provided

Please describe supports offered (honoraria, transit tickets, etc.)

Engagement Findings Summary

What were the central questions you asked?

Please provide core questions of your engagement, or attach any discussion guides produced to facilitate engagement.

What were the main themes you heard from community?

In the table below, please summarise the top findings in your engagement, and link to ten provisional goals.

* Ten Provisional Goals (for reference): 1. Advance a City of Reconciliation through Decolonization; 2. Create an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive City; 3. Become a Sustainable and Carbon- Neutral City; 4. Ensure we are a Prepared, Safe and Resilient City; 5. Develop an Affordable City with Diverse and Secure Housing for every resident…; 6. Support a Diverse and Healthy Economy; 7. Create Complete, Connected and Culturally Vibrant Neighbourhoods; 8. Re-Establish Thriving Urban Natural Systems; 9. Intentionally Manage our Growth and Align our Efforts Regionally; 10. Demonstrate Transparency in Decision-Making and Collaborate with Partners.

What was specifically shared by community?

Please provide comments, stories, or any direct quotes. Please organize them by summarized findings, if possible. You may attach notes taken at the session in a separate document.

Some examples of input that would be useful:

• Intangible culture and heritage that community would like to protect, support, or revive: places, practices, relationships, experiences, and other aspects of a community or neighbourhood that may be undervalued or invisible to people outside that community.
• Opportunities or assets within a community, which could contribute to improving the city: skills, knowledge, resources, relationships, passions, community-based approaches - and how they could be cultivated, resourced, or valued more.
• Elements of the neighbourhood or the city that are missing or not designed for this community: supports that cannot be accessed, spaces that do not feel inviting or safe, or services that discriminate against the community, and improvements that could be made.
• Processes and activities of interest to the community, and what's needed to support their participation, especially if they are excluded.
• Aspects of their COVID-19 pandemic experience we could learn from that can guide how we might ‘build back better’ after the pandemic.
  
• Aspects of living in a neighbourhood or city from which others are benefiting, but remains out of reach for members of your community.

Preliminary Engagement Evaluation

What worked well in your engagement?

Please describe what aspects of the engagement approach and design worked well that you would suggest to City staff and other Navigators.

What would you change for next time?

Please describe what aspects did not work as well as you hoped, and any changes you might make to the engagement approach.

What suggestions do you have for community stay involved?

Please provide any advice or ideas you have on keeping your community involved in future phases of this project.

Individuals and groups may have specific language needs to participate meaningfully, such as interpreters, translation, for multiple languages including ASL (American Sign Language).

The City has translated a project description of the initiative and timeline for the public into the five most common non-English languages in Vancouver:  

• Chinese - Simplified
• Chinese - Traditional
• Punjabi
• Tagalog
• Vietnamese

Is there something that would be particularly useful to be translated for your community?

Many people in our communities are unable to participate without monetary supports or ability to recover small expenses associated with providing child- or elder-care, obtaining transportation to and from in-person events, and giving up potentially income-earning time. 

An honorarium is a payment expressing gratitude or thanks in recognition for services rendered. Below are examples of when you may consider offering honoraria:

• For participants of in-depth dialogue-based engagements on the basis of self-identified need
• When a community member is providing services such as outreach, presentation, facilitation, interpretation, translation, note-taking, peer support, or Elder support
• When Indigenous Elders or Knowledge Keepers are providing support for an engagement
• When there is a need to address equity in participation (eg. when a participant is attending on unpaid time, while other staff or professionals who are also taking part are being paid for their time).  
• When opportunities for participation conflict with other income generating activities.

• Reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses (eg. transportation costs, childcare, accommodation, or food). Amounts provided through honoraria are taxable and reimbursements would not be appropriate forms of reimbursement.
• Provided through food, refreshments, or recognition gifts for volunteers. These may be claimed separately as expenses for events, but should not be considered honoraria that recognizes their contribution of time and knowledge.

Be aware that honoraria is considered Taxable Income by Canada Revenue Agency, and may be used to calculate their taxable income. CRA requirements may severely impact those receiving social assistance. It is important that recipients are made aware of these conditions before providing their personal information.

A range of supports may be provided to lower participation barriers for community members. Supports should be considered along with facilitation and engagement formats (eg. in-depth dialogue-based engagements, virtual meetings, and online surveys). Some examples of engagement supports include:

• Provision of food and refreshments at the event, either through catering arranged by partner organization or through an arrangement with a catering service.
• Offer of two-way transit tickets for any participants who travelled to the engagement by public transit. Single-trip tickets may be purchased in bulk from TransLink, which can be distributed at events.
• Provision of services needed at the event to support participation, including outreach, facilitation, language interpretation and translation, ASL (sign language) interpreters, and/or childminding.
• Coverage of room rental costs that may be incurred, small administrative fees required to deliver engagement (eg. processing honoraria), or any costs incurred by an organization related to waiving program fees for participants (eg. youth day-camp.)
• Supply costs related to facilitation and activities.
• Reimbursement to participants for child- or elder-care services that allow participants to attend an event.
• Reimbursement to participants for costs including but not limited to special transportation (eg. Gas for trip of Elder and/or Knowledge Keeper to and from event, taxi expenses as needed).

Some groups have limited ability to convene online or over the phone. To support engagement, use this space to discuss approaches to engaging people safely in line with orders from the public health officer.